Steps for Culture Copepods and phytoplankton

[AtlanticGail]

What are the first steps for culturing copepods and phytoplankton. Should you culture phytoplankton first. Then now long after to culture Copepods. Any suggestions, tips or really good step by step instructions (LOL). Got SCA dinos so I think I will be doing this for a while.

 

[TX_REEF]

I found this video informative:

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

It truly depends on your end goal, if you're after small cultures then you can almost start them at the same time and will be able to split off a little phyto for the pods every time their water clears up and keep moving. But if you're wanting larger cultures of both I would start the phyto ahead of the pods and try to keep multiple cultures of 2-3 varieties of phyto going for your pods for nutritional purposes.

Also, if your end goal is only really to grow out a continuous pod culture for food, it is a lot easier to purchase condensed phyto than grow multiple cultures @Reef Nutrition RGComplete or PhytoFeast have both worked for me in the past (though I prefer the former).

 

[AtlanticGail]

It truly depends on your end goal, if you're after small cultures then you can almost start them at the same time and will be able to split off a little phyto for the pods every time their water clears up and keep moving. But if you're wanting larger cultures of both I would start the phyto ahead of the pods and try to keep multiple cultures of 2-3 varieties of phyto going for your pods for nutritional purposes.

Also, if your end goal is only really to grow out a continuous pod culture for food, it is a lot easier to purchase condensed phyto than grow multiple cultures @Reef Nutrition RGComplete or PhytoFeast have both worked for me in the past (though I prefer the former).

This is totally new to me, been watching YouTube videos, understand the concept. If I order copepods and phytoplankton and F5 fertilizer, start at the same time for both, do I need to get 2 bottles of phytoplankton one to culture and one to feed the copepods.

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

I would recommend it depending on how much you are ordering. That way you can get a chance to give your phyto a little bit of a head start.

Depending on what species of pod you are planning on culturing will depend on what phyto you will want to culture if you haven't looked into that yet. Tisbe pods are about the only ones I've seen cultured somewhat "successfully" on Nanno alone - but even then they don't thrive.

I've always used f/2 fertilizer myself...